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I would appreciate help writing a review for my recent guests or help me decide if I should even write one. Here are some of the issues:
House rule states no walking inside the property with outdoor shoes. They kept doing this even after I reminded them at the time of check-in. They kept apologizing every time they walked around with shoes, “oh right no shoes, sorry” but countinued to do it anway.
House rule states no cooking or consumption of non-vegetarian food. They got take out with some chicken dishes and at dinner time wanted to warm up the food. I did mention politely that we are vegetarians and prefer guests bring vegetarian food into our home and have included this in our house rules. The wife says “oh so you don’t want me to have this food.” Looks at husband “guess we didn’t read the house rules” Husband just keeps looking, no response. Wife continues, “I mean I get it, we are Mormons and we wouldn’t want people to bring alcohol in our house.” I was put in a really uncomfortable spot and felt bad they had been out all day and were probably hungry. There was an awkward silence and I didn’t know what to do (I was hoping they would say something) so after what seemed like 30 seconds had passed, I just said “Food is food, it’s okay this time.” No thank you, she moved on to warming up everything. I was unhappy (and I know they could see it) but I let it go. We all sat together, had dinner (different meals) and had freindly conversations.
After check-out, their room and bathroom was okay except the toilet. I will not go into gross details, but it took me 25 minutes to clean the bowl and I couldn’t eat the rest of the day.
Here are the positives: they communicated their arrival plans very well, always greeted in a friendly manner whenever we met, cleaned up after their breakfast and meals, gave us their leftover bags of fruits that we could consume, left a thank you note prior to check-out.
Coming to the point, will writing this review suffice?
“M and C stayed with us for three nights. They were friendly and we enjoyed conversing with them. Communication was excellent. It was generous of them to leave fruits behind that we could enjoy. Recommend reading house rules and house manual prior to booking. Thank you for visiting!” Star ratings: Cleanliness- 3, Communication- 5, House Rules- 3
They have already left me a review so I am not sure if I should leave them one or just wait out the 14 day period.
I think your review is too nice. They were very disrespectful of your house rules, I mean they didn’t respect them AT ALL and were very rude when you tried to discuss this with them face to face. Sure, they had good points, but I think you need to make more of the very bad points. I would say:
M & C unfortunately weren’t able to respect our house rules despite several friendly reminders. The fact that we were totally ignored left us feeling rather uncomfortable in our own home. We did appreciate the prompt communication regarding arrival times.
I wouldn’t give them 5 stars for communication either, as this doesn’t just refer to communication through messages, it includes face to face as well (in which you were ignored and disrespected)
Yep I’d agree they were disrespectful. I had a guest who insisted on 1.30 am showers every day despite being asked not to and confirming that they wouldn’t do it anymore. They figured (rightly in many ways) that I wouldn’t be able to do much to stop them. Correct, but they didn’t factor in my review and how my review might influence other hosts.
Guests like this should have accurate reviews left for them so they find there are future consequences for such rude and inconsiderate behaviour.
Private accuracy feedback
Your guest mentioned some issues that weren’t accurately reflected in your listing description: amenities. Additional comments: “ The weather was much hotter than expected and without air-conditioning it was very warm at night. However, they were wonderful hosts. We have no complaints whatsoever with how well we were treated by them.
Private value feedback
“Lack of air conditioning is the only concern.”
They docked me on Overall, Accuracy and Value criterias because I do not have AC in the room. There is a mobile AC in the living room which is accurately listed under amenities. I have an apartment by-law restricting me from having mounted air-conditioning in the rooms and the first day these guests asked about it, I told them precisely that!
M and C stayed with us for three nights. They were friendly and we enjoyed conversing with them, very sweet folks! It was generous of them to leave fruits behind that we could enjoy. I wish they had treated the property with more respect, read house rules properly (no shoes, no meat in vegetarian household) and complied. They cleaned up after themselves in the kitchen but the bathroom could have been left in a cleaner state. Appreciate the thank you note they left.
Yes I am very glad. For $50/night they got a private room with bathroom, breakfast and free parking DURING Stampede!
Thanks @Gardenhost. I am going to bookmark your review suggestion too, as I have a guest that seems more interested in smoking his pot (albeit outside) than being conscious enough to follow the house rules. I had high hopes when he arrived. He was charming, intelligent, Christian (I am only guessing one that one - he mentioned doing some fellowship work while he is here), but he is getting more lazy. I am starting to wonder what his dorm room at college must look like. -sigh- I have other guests, so I find myself cleaning up after him in the kitchen, turning off lights and catch him wearing shoes in the house. I was supposed to take a couple of days off at the end of the month, but I think it’s going to be a staycation. I now just don’t trust the guy.
I have found that I can’t count on guests to read the house rules. I have them in a binder along with other information such as public transit maps and schedules, local restaurants, etc. Also, based on my experience with guests and house rules, I have included the important rules in my description assuming that they at least read that.
I assume that some guests are happy to get a room and may have lost their first choice. So they just book what they can and are relieved to have a room. I’d say Stampede may be like that.
I don’t think people, most people, would intentionally want to offend me by going against my house rules. I would suggest that the two requirements you have for guests to always remove shoes and no non-vegetarian food in the house at all are significant and may be deal breakers for many. If it were me I’d include it as part of my description in a friendly way. And I would do so at the outset.
I haven’t found that guests read any portion of the listing as many are surprised by things that are clearly stated in the description: we have dogs, the bathroom is shared, we don’t have air conditioning, etc.
Also, many people are confused about what vegetarian means. Lots of people inexplicably believe that poultry and fish are vegetarian. I’ve met people who believe that dishes cooked with pork “as long as it’s just a little” and chicken broth are vegetarian. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to explain that desserts made with gelatin are not vegetarian.
The keyword is assume. It has been mentioned in a couple of places and I have incorporated it in my welcome message to acknowledge that they have read the house rules!wAlready Working on that binder idea though. Thanks!
True! The thing is no other guests so far have broken this rule or sought clarification so I haven’t had a need to define what ‘vegetarian food’ means.
What!? That is SO cheap! I have so many friends and family that go to Stampede - I’ll definitely let them know about you.
I can always tell which guests follow our request to remove shoes in the house because the floors are so much cleaner. We have 2 reminders - a BOLD sign saying to remove your shoes, and a basket of washable slide-on slippers and slipper socks in the foyer near the entrance to the house.
None of of friends who are vegetarian mind other people eating meat, so I have to admit I was surprised to read that you mentioned it to them. But it’s your house, your rules (especially at your very low rate). That is something to reiterate to all guests coming to your home so everyone is clear and they book with full knowledge.
I booked a private room hosted by Muslims, before I arrived, I asked if I could bring a take out meat dish and a beer. Didn’t want to offend their culture. While I’m paying for the room, I expect to comply with their cultural and religious beliefs. What would happen if you were a guest with the Mormons and drank booze in their home. You might offer this as a way of showing them that respect is expected.
Sorry to hear about your troublesome guests. But why on earth are you cleaning up after him?
Just sit him down have a chat remind him this is a shared space and it is common decency for everyone to clean up after themselves, turn off lights not being used and observe the house rules including not wearing shoes. Say you will drop him a message through Airbnb to confirm the conversation.
Say you would hate to have to discontinue his stay as he seems a lovely person but if he wants to stay he needs to leave the place as he found it, observe your house rules and not smoke pot in your garden/outside of your home as other guests and yourselves use this space.
Then if he continues to break the rules you can ask Airbnb to cancel the booking. Of course you should be able to go away.
Majority of my friends are not vegetarians I don’t mind anyone eating meat as long it’s not on my plate. It’s a personal choice. But I have had guests who wouldn’t clean up or take their trash out so I am left with picking up bones and meat that I am not comfortable touching so I have just made it my rule and so far except these guests, no one has had problem following. Also, guests don’t have access to kitchen but they can help themselves to a self-serve breakfast from what is offered. My clientele are one nighters as I am an airport location so there isn’t much cooking or eating happening in the place anyway.
The irony is these guests were mormons who gave the booze example and how they wouldn’t accept it in their house and still continued ignoring my rules.
I know lots of people who are vegetarian who don’t like people eating meat in their homes and find the smell of meat quite off-putting.
There are some people who don’t eat meat for religious reasons and for them it can be even more offensive.
If you book a home with house rules which tell you not to bring meat into the home it is highly inconsiderate and rude to bring it in and then not immediately go and remove it from the home when you are reminded of these rules.
I don’t mind anyone eating meat as long it’s not on my plate. It’s a personal choice. But I have had guests who wouldn’t clean up or take their trash out so I am left with picking up bones and meat that I am not comfortable touching so I have just made it my rule and so far except these guests, no one has had problem following. Also, guests don’t have access to kitchen but they can help themselves to a self-serve breakfast from what is offered. My clientele are one nighters as I am an airport location so there isn’t much cooking or eating happening in the place anyway.